Warsaw library card for foreigners: how to join, what to bring
Short answer: Warsaw public libraries are free to join. Wola accepts any photo ID, Włochy asks for photo ID with PESEL, and Koszykowa lends books home only to adults registered in Mazovia or Warsaw students.
Public libraries in Warsaw are free to join, and some of them go out of their way to help foreign readers. The rules, though, are set library by library, so what you need depends on where you sign up. This guide compares what three official library pages say: the Warsaw Public Library on Koszykowa (the city's main library, also the library for the Mazovia region), the Wola district library, and the Włochy district library. None of these pages carries a date, so confirm the rules at the desk before you go.
Is it free?
Yes. The Koszykowa library states that using the library is free and requires a valid reader card, issued at the registration desk, the information desk, the lending library and the reading rooms after you fill in a registration form and accept the library rules. The Włochy library adds that you do not need to live in Warsaw to use it, but you must register first. Some paid extras exist, such as printouts. Koszykowa charges 5 zł for a duplicate of a lost card, according to its FAQ.
What to bring
The three libraries ask for different documents:
- Wola: any document with a photo. The library says every visitor can register themselves or a minor child, and that it has the library rules and registration forms in Polish, Ukrainian and English.
- Włochy: an identity document with a photo and a PESEL number. That means a newcomer without a PESEL yet may need to ask the librarian what is possible.
- Koszykowa: a valid identity document.
Because of those differences, take your passport or residence card, and your PESEL number if you have one.
Who can borrow books to take home
At the main library on Koszykowa, the rules split reading from borrowing. Anyone aged 13 or over can use the collections in the reading rooms, wherever they live. Taking books out of the library is allowed only for adults who are registered at least temporarily in the Mazovia province, and for students of Warsaw universities. So if you want to borrow at Koszykowa, your address registration (meldunek) matters. Our guide to address registration for foreigners explains how that works.
District libraries have their own rules. The Włochy page says that all library materials are lent for 30 days, and that one card works for all the branches in the Włochy network. It also says you can use the collections with a Warsaw City Card or an electronic student ID, after a librarian registers it in the library system.
Foreign-language books
The Wola library has a lending library of foreign-language collections, called Poliglotka, at ul. Nowolipki 21. It lists fiction and non-fiction for children, young people and adults in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Czech, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Ukrainian and Dutch. It also lists foreign-language audiobooks, foreign series, language-learning books and audio courses, textbooks for learning Polish for foreigners, simplified readers, and foreign magazines. Readers can use the IBUK Libra and Wolne Lektury services, there are computers, and there is an English-language discussion club at B2 level and language workshops.
The eight children's branches in Wola have some titles in Ukrainian, colouring books and picture books without text. All Wola branches have keyboards with Cyrillic letters.
Computers, Wi-Fi and ordering online
The Włochy library says every reader can use its computers with internet access free of charge during opening hours, for 1 hour, and longer if no one is waiting. You can bring your own laptop and tell the librarian on duty. Wi-Fi is available in selected branches. You can order books online through the catalogue by logging in with the ID printed under the barcode of your library card, or with your PESEL, and a PIN you get in any branch.
* Photos: Warsaw Public Library building at ul. Koszykowa (public domain, Wikimedia Commons); interior of the Warsaw Public Library (CC0, Wikimedia Commons). Photos are illustrative.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner get a library card in Warsaw?
Yes. The libraries above register readers on the basis of an identity document. Wola accepts any document with a photo. Włochy asks for photo ID with a PESEL number.
Can I borrow books at the main library without an address in Mazovia?
According to the Koszykowa FAQ, borrowing outside the library is limited to adults registered at least temporarily in the Mazovia province, and students of Warsaw universities. Without that, you can still read in the reading rooms from age 13.
How long can I keep books?
The Włochy library lends all materials for 30 days. Other libraries may use different periods, so ask your branch.
